ATLANTA ARTHRITIS CENTER
Dr. Michael Smitherman, MD
Dr. Smitherman was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He developed an interest in medicine and rheumatology at an early age when his grandmother was diagnosed with a rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma overlap syndrome. Observing the challenges she endured as a patient and the challenges faced by her caregivers served as a great inspiration for Dr. Smitherman to become a rheumatologist.
Dr. Smitherman graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1995 and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. He returned to Georgia and practiced Internal Medicine in Cumming and Tucker between 1998 to 2001. In 2001, he returned to complete a fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Florida (Gainesville) to achieve his goal of becoming a rheumatologist. While at the University of Florida, he was awarded an AMGEN fellowship award. As an AMGEN fellow, he completed research in systemic lupus erythematosus which was presented at the American College of Rheumatology national meeting in 2003. He published research in fibromyalgia in Current Pain and Headache Reports (August, 2002) with Dr. Roland Staud (author of Fibromyalgia for Dummies) and completed research with Dr. N. Larry Edwards on new and emerging therapies for gouty arthritis.
Dr. Smitherman is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. He is also a member of the Medical Association of Atlanta, the Medical Association of Georgia, the Georgia Society of Rheumatology, the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, and the Georgia Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. He is board certified in Rheumatology and board eligible in internal medicine.
In his off time, he enjoys traveling, photography, and playing bass in several tribute bands.
